BRIEF HISTORY OF KHOJA SHIA ITHNAASHERI JAMAAT OF DAR-ES-SALAAM.
Our origin has a small interesting history. Our great grand fathers were converted from Lohanas into Muslims. Lohana means the leaders. The name given to the new community had to befit the dignity of their origin and they were called “Khwajas” which also means the leaders. However in due course, following the convenience of pronounciation, it became Khojas. Our immediate forefathers resided in Kutch, Kathiawad and Gujrat – the present state of Gujarat in Independent India. They were mostly merchants and a few were farmers. They were also daring and enterprising people who, in search of better opportunities began moving in early 18th Century to Bombay and then to Aden, Makalla and Zanzibar.
They came to Bagamoyo and Kilwa in the mid 19th Century. In the year 1890, German Government began to build Central Railway Line from Dar es Salaam to Kigoma, thus shifting the commercial balance from Bagamoyo to Dar es Salaam, and we being a trading community preferred to follow the winds of change to shift to Dar es Salaam.
From an old report of the Jamaat, we derived that our community members first landed at Dar es Salaam in the year 1875. Dar es Salaam was the a village south east of the present city at a place called Nyimwema. In the year 1900, a general-purpose hall for prayers was established somewhere around the present Clock Tower vicinity. It was later shifted to a place behind the present Telephone House on India Street. When the German Governor allocated a plot to Jamaat on the present site of our Mosque in the year 1904, immediate steps were taken to construct a concrete mosque there between the years 1904 to 1908 through the efforts of Marhum Haji Sachoo Pira and others. Although there were only 9 families living here at the time, they built a large mosque which served our purpose upto the year 1965. It was a system to use wooden beams for the roof at that time, but Haji Noormohamedbhai Sachoo used iron girdles, which were specially imported from India, to achieve long duration. All this shows the farsightedness of the then Jamaat leaders. The 9 families living in Dar es Salaam in the early 1900 were of Haji Sachoo Pira, Haji Nasser Mawji, Haji Nasser Rattansi, Haji Molloo Kanji, Bhai Nasser Bhalloo, Bhai Merali Muraj, Bhai Pirbhai Rattansi, Bhai Dhalla Nanji and Bhai Ali Walli.
Imamwado.
The plot of Imamwado where it stands now was a Shamba. Haji Sachoo Pira obtained it in exchange with his own plot in Zanzibar. Initially a corrugated iron sheet walled Imambara was built. This was expanded as the community multiplied. In 1941, on the 1300th anniversary of Sayyedu Sho’hada a concrete Imambara was built at a cost of Shs. 95,000/-. Marhum Haji Gulamhussein Virji and Marhum Haji Abdulrasul Rajabali Alidina took a lot of pain in accomplishing this task. The Imambara was extended in 1965 at a cost of Shs. 150,000/-. The contractors were the firm of Br. Yusuf Moledina.
Graveyard.
In 1908, the widow of Sabar Ibrahim died and there arose a need for burial place. Marhum Sachoo Pira allowed her to be buried in his Shamba. Later he donated the whole shamba for use as Kabrastan. It was a very big plot and part of it was used as a sports ground where we had a cricket pitch, volleyball courts and a small football ground.
The government however decided to construct a road through this plot and the present Bibi Titi Road passing adjacent to Kabrastan divided the plot in two portions. Jamaat received a compensation of Shs. 45,000/- for it which was used to build a concrete border wall around the graveyard. On the remaining plot on the other side of the road, three buildings were constructed and the flats were sold to community members at reasonable prices and on easy terms.
Mehfile Abbas.
A plot was obtained and Mehfile Abbas was established in 1937 with the dedicated efforts of Marhuma Fatmabai Shariff who raised funds for the same from community members and personally supervised its construction. The possession of Mehfil was transferred in Jamaat’s name in February 1941. Fatmabai Shariff however continued to manage the Mehfil affairs until 1962 when Jamaat appointed a Ladies Committee to run the Mehfil.
We have to acknowledge the invaluable services of the well-known Zakira of the time, Marhuma Kulsumbai Abdalla Khimji, who recited majlises in Cutchi at Mehfile Abbas for over two decades. Her majlises were most effective and very much appreciated by the ladies. Marhuma Mulyani Fatmabai Valji also recited majlises and Duas at the Mehfil for many years.
Mehfile Asgheri.
It was first started by Aziz Sachedina in early 1950’s and initially majlises for children were held at his residence on Sultan Street (now Libya Street). It was from here that the first Ashura Night Juloos began in 1950’s mainly for children, starting from Mehfile Asgheri and ending at Mehfile Abbas. The present Mehfile Asgheri premises on Libya Street was donated by the family of Late Amersi Alibhai.
Musafirkhana.
The construction of Musafirkhana adjacent to our mosque was initiated by Haji Nasserbhai Virji, who was the executor of the will made by late Abdullabhai Hemani of Udjidji in German East Africa during his lifetime and which was registered at the court in Bagamoyo.
The building of the Musafirkhana, in accordance with the expressed wish of the deceased in his Will was commenced in September 1912 and was completed in April 1914. Haji Nasserbhai Virji had given the responsibility of supervising the construction work to Abdulrasulbhai Sachoo Pira and Noormohamedbhai Sachoo Pira. The opening ceremony of the Musafirkhana for the use of the Khoja Shia Ithnaasheri Community was performed by H.E. the Governor Dr. Schnee on 30th April, 1914. The possession and documents in respect of the building were handed over to the then Mutwallies of the Mosque, Abdulrasulbhai Sachoo Pira and Kassambhai Walli.
Madressa.
Marhum Daya Walji had donated a hall for Madressa in 1940’s. This was later redeveloped into a four-storeyed building. He had also donated another 2-storeyed building adjacent to Madressa. The income derived from it was to be used for running the Madressa.
The old Madressa buildings made room for a multi-purpose Tabligh Centre which is now completed. The ground floor and first floor are rented to Habib African Bank.
The remaining floors will be utilized by Tabligh for their offices, library and Boys maderssa. Also the coaching classes by Ladies Managing Committee will also be conducted from here.
Board of Trustees.
The Board was officially formed on 4th September, 1937. The Rules for the Trustees of the Jamaat were discussed and approved at the Jamaat’s General Meeting held on the same day and the following four members were elected as Trustees.
Proposed by Seconded by.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1. <!--[endif]-->Bhai Nurmohamed Jessa Abdulrasul Molloo Chatoo. S.K. Dalal.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2. <!--[endif]-->Bhai Mohamed Abdulla Khimji Dawood Mohamed S.K. Dalal.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3. <!--[endif]-->Bhai Suleman Daya Walji Rustamali Ladha S.K. Dalal
<!--[if !supportLists]-->4. <!--[endif]-->Bhai Juma Haji Haji Jiwan R.N. Rattansi.
Jamaat had the following properties at that time.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1. <!--[endif]-->Mosque.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2. <!--[endif]-->Imambaras.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3. <!--[endif]-->Burial Ground.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->4. <!--[endif]-->The house built on Merali Muraj’s Plot.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->5. <!--[endif]-->Shamba of Merali Muraj.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->6. <!--[endif]-->Musafirkhana.
Housing.
The need for housing for the community was realized by our forefathers long ago and various plots and buildings were donated to Jamaat by the well-wishers, most of which are now occupied by our community members and the income derived from these properties is used in accordance with the Trust and for the benefit of the community.
In addition to the ones already mentioned in this report elsewhere, the other Trust properties held by Jamaat were donated by the following: -
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1. <!--[endif]-->Late Merali Muraj - Building on India Street. (1920)
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2. <!--[endif]-->Late Alli Walli. -Building on Indira Gandhi Street (formally Windsor Street) 1931
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3. <!--[endif]-->Late Amersi Mawji. - House at Mataka Street. (1957)
<!--[if !supportLists]-->4. <!--[endif]-->Late Sherbanubai Walimohamed Shamji. - House at Changombe (1994)
<!--[if !supportLists]-->5. <!--[endif]-->Late Ismail Alibhai. - Building at Asia Street (1988)
<!--[if !supportLists]-->6. <!--[endif]-->Late Jenabai Hasham. - Building at Uhuru Street (1958)
<!--[if !supportLists]-->7. <!--[endif]-->Late Juma Haji. - Building at Maweni Street (1989)
<!--[if !supportLists]-->8. <!--[endif]-->Late Kanji Damani. - Plots on Indira Gandhi Street (formally Market Street) 1954 &
Libya Street (1960)
<!--[if !supportLists]-->9. <!--[endif]-->Late Mohamedali Janmohamed family.- Building on Livingstone Street (Zainabia
Manzil) 1994
The recent additions were flats donated by: -
<!--[if !supportLists]-->a. <!--[endif]-->Shabbir M.R. Somji. - a flat at Livingstone Street, Kariakoo.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->b. <!--[endif]-->Late Amir Dharsee. - 2 flats at Msimbazi.
A “Widow House” the cost of which was donated by Marhum Alibhai Ebrahim was constructed on top of the Ebrahim Haji Building in 1960’s. It is actively operated by Jamaat and we have about 15 widows having shelter in this Bewakhana.
Medical.
a. Ebrahim Haji Hospital.
The Building was donated by Juma Haji family in 1953 to be used as a Dispensary. It could not however take off properly due to financial constraints. Several attempts were made with the assistance from Juma Haji family and other members of the community to revive it, but the Dispensary remained dormant until 1976. In 1977, at a cost of TShs. 175,000/-, the Dispensary was renovated and it was re-opened in October, 1978.
In 1991, the Dispensary was upgraded to Hospital when a 21-bed in-patient wing was completed comprising 2 Bed I.C.U., 10 Bed Medical and 9 Bed Paediatric. The in-patient wing was officially opened by the then Minister of Health Professor P. Sarungi on 22nd February, 1992.
b. Temeke Dispensary.
Marhum Abbas Alloo, who was Jamaat’s Hon. Secretary in early 1980’s initiated the idea of building a Dispensary near Bilal Muslim Mission complex in Temeke to serve the people living around there. He donated Shs. 200,000/- for Ithale Thawab of his Late mother for this purpose. It was however in November, 1989 that the idea was refloated to construct the Dispensary at Temeke. The total construction cost amounted to approx. Shs. 35.0 million with Shs. 1.0 million paid to Architect/Consultants, which was entirely met by some generous donors of the community. The Dispensary started its operations on 7th March, 1995. It has recently been extended with the purchase of an adjacent plot, the total cost of which was donated by Al-Haj Anverbhai Dharamsi.
A useful property belonging to Korean Embassy situated along Morogoro Road was purchased by Jamaat in 1998 which consists of an Auditorium which is now used for social functions, seminar etc. Presently it is named as Jaffery Complex.
Education.
Before Independence Gujarati language was medium of education in Indian Primary Schools and continued to be part of curriculum in secondary education. Africans had different schools by law. Our community was spread in the town and in the villages all over Tanzania. Their children had to come to cities for secondary education. To cater for them, Boarding House was built in 1955, the finance being donated by the whole K.S.I. Community throughout the then Tanganyika. The major donor being Haji Mohamed Jaffer of Lindi, the Boarding House was named after him. Khoja students throughout Tanzania came for education to Dar es Salaam. Since it belonged to all Khojas of Tanganyika it was run under Tanganyika Education Council created by Federation of K.S.I. Jamaats of Africa.
After Independence separate system of Education was established and a common curriculum adopted for all Tanzanians by law. The utility of Boarding House stopped altogether due to lack of boarders.
Union Nursery School was started by the Youth wing of the Jamaat, i.e. Ithna-Asheri Union in the year 1954 in Ismail Alibhai building, the premises in which the present Jamaat office is located. It was moved to the Boarding House in 1975. The School was run under the administration of Ithnaasheri Union until 1996 when it was decided that the administration of all Jamaat Schools be centralized under the Central Board of Education. There was a deep felt gap of our own primary and secondary schools which the law did not allow at the material time. After liberalization, the law prohibiting private schools was relaxed and we established Al-Muntazir Islamic Seminary (Secondary School) in 1986 in the Boarding House grounds.
Permission was granted to us to start Primary School in 1992 and this was established initially in the Boarding House Complex. However space was not adequate to accommodate all the students and we therefore constructed another Junior School at Ocean Road on the plot donated by Marhum Daya Walji family.
The Al-Muntazir Union Nursery School was in the meantime shifted to Ashrafbai Memorial Building on Kipalapala Road which was donated to Jamaat by Al-Haj Mustafabhai Kassamali Nasser. A new building was however constructed on this site in the year 2001 which gave additional classrooms. The school can now accommodate upto 670 pupils. Currently it has approx. 400 students.
The acquisition in 1998 of the Ex-Korean Embassy Complex, strategically situated adjacent to our Al-Muntazir School and Boarding House, gave us the opportunity to expand our educational facilities. This also enabled us to establish separate Primary and Secondary Schools for Boys and Girls.
Currently we have a total student population of approx. 2600 students in all our Schools of which approx 1500 are community students. All the Schools – Nursery, Primary and Secondary are under the title of Al-Muntazir Schools and managed by the Central Board of Education.
Sports.
In 1952, the Ithnaasheri Union Sports Club was instituted which brought together phelomaths (catering to Table Tennis and Literary activities), Twilight Club (catering to Badminton) and Radio Club (catering to snooker) who combined together in a respectable and popular organization called Ithnaasheri Union Sports Club. Until then the Youths played for other teams and although there was a sense of communal comraderie, a sense of belonging and a craving for identity, we did not have a base. Ithnaasheri Union, Jamaat’s Youth wing was formally established in 1954.
Our youths excelled in various sports and some of their notable achievements were as follows: -
Cricket:
<!--[if !supportLists]-->a. <!--[endif]-->The Community produced great cricketers like F.H.R., Muslim Kara, Nazirhussein Jafferali Nurmohamed, Pyarali Merali in 1950’s.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->b. <!--[endif]-->Many of our youths played for the national team. They included players like Nazirhussein, Mahmood Nurmohamed, Bashir Tejani, Mohamed Nathoo, Shakir Sheraly, Hasnain Tejani, Kazim Lakha, Yusuf Kermali, Amir Yusuf.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->c. <!--[endif]-->Five of our cricketers had the honour to lead the National Team in various international tournaments. They were Mahmood Nurmohamed, Bashir Tejani, Mohamed Nathoo, Yusuf Kermalli and Shakir Sheraly.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->d. <!--[endif]-->From 1973-1992, Union Sports Club dominated the Cricket field and won the Championship 18 times.
Volleyball.
The Ithnaasheris team which had skilled players like F.H.R., Muslim Kara, Hussein Bhalloo, Akber Sumar, Pyarali Haji, Raza Panju, Mohamedali Jaffer, Yusuf Datoo was an unbeatable side in the 1950’s. Union Sports Club continued to dominate the game and won many trophies in the following three decades.
Badminton.
Raza Virjee won the Dar es Salaam Open title in late 1950’s and Ahmed Rattansi also won the same title in 1960. Mahmood Nurmohamed became the youngest player (15 yrs) to win the Kenya Open Championship in 1964 and was recognized as the East African Champion a year later when he won all the three titles that is Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania Open Championships. Aga Sadri was one of the leading players in 1970’s and his son Ibrahim also won a few club tournaments.
Tennis.
Akber Mithani and Anver Mithani won the Dar es Salaam Open Asian tournaments in 1950’s. Yusuf Somji and Baker Tejani were also leading players in this Sport. Raza Virjee represented Tanzania team in 1972 in the 2nd All Africa games held in Nigeria. Rizwan Jaffer and Ali Gulam Dewji also excelled in this game in 1990’s.
Squash.
Hasnain Virjee won the Tanzania Open Crown in 1977, 1979 and 1980 in his younger days. Twenty years later he came back to win the Veteran’s tournament in 1998 and 2000. Munir Daya was another leading player at National level.
Milestone:
Dar es Salaam Jamaat can well be described as mother of Africa Federation, as it from was here that the idea of its formation was first floated by Marhum Azad Sachedina in an article in the Magazine “MUNADI” published by him. He had a noble vision of a united and progressive union of all Jamaats in different countries to cater for needs, development and unity of our community. This vision was followed up by late Mohamedalibhai Janmohamed and late Gulamhussein Virjee who made efforts to organize a meeting of leaders from various Jamaats of Africa to discuss the issue. The meeting was held at Anjuman Islamia Hall in Dar es Salaam in 1946 under the Chairmanship of late A.H. Nurmohamed of Mombasa. A Constitutional Conference was then called in Dar es Salaam in 1947 when Africa Federation was formally established and the late A.H. Nurmohamed was elected as its first Chairman. Mombasa became its first Headquarters. The Federation’s Headquarters shifted to Dar es Salaam for 18 consecutive years from 1983 upto 2001 under the Chairmanship of Al-Haj Mohamedbhai Dhirani (1983-1989 and 1995-2001) and Al-Haj Habibbhai Mulji (1989-1995).
Bilal Mission.
Dar es Salaam has remained the Headquarters of the Bilal Muslim Mission since its inception in 1964. Jamaat was very fortunate that the Chief Missionary of Bilal Mission, Allamah Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi resided in Dar es Salaam and was ever ready to guide and advise the Jamaat in religious matters whenever the need arose.
When Tanganyika parliament passed the “Islamic Law (Restatement) Act” in 1964, which empowered the Minister responsible for Legal affairs to prepare and publish a statement of Islamic Law after consultation with learned persons in the Islamic schools of law, Mohamedbhai Dhirani, who was at the time the President of the K.S.I. Territorial Council of Tanzania, arranged for Allamah Rizvi to meet the lawyer in charge of that project in Attorney General’s Chambers. At his request, Maulana wrote in English the detailed Shia law on related matters for use by the Attorney General’s office. This covered “Islamic Laws concerning marriage, dissolution of marriage, acknowledgement, will, inheritance and waqf”. Br. Bashir Rahim, then Senior Parliament Draftsman finalised four chapters of marriage as accepted by three principal schools of Islamic Law – Shafi, Hanafi and Shia and it was published, under authority of Mr. Rashidi Kawawa, then Second Vice-President of Tanzania. It appeared as the subsidiary Legislation under the Restatement of Islamic Law Act (No. 56 of 1964), the Gazette Supplement No. 34 of 27th June, 1967.
At the request of the then Supreme Council Chairman Late Alhaj Mohamedali Meghji, Maulana also wrote a Memorandum on Matrimonial Laws and a Memorandum on the Laws of Succession in August, 1967 which was submitted to a Commission on the Laws of Marriage set up by the Kenya Government under the Chairmanship of Mr. Justice Spry of Kenya High Court. The Commission was to make recommendations for a new law providing a comprehensive uniform law of marriage and divorce applicable to all persons in Kenya.
Maulana also wrote a Memorandum on “Tanzania White Paper on Uniform Marriage Law” submitting the views of the Shia Ithnaasheri Community on the Government Proposals on Uniform Law of Marriage (Government’s Paper No. 1 of 1969). This was published in the ‘Standard’ newspaper of Dar es Salaam on 8th December, 1969.
It was also because of Maulana’s Memorandum on ‘Hijab and Succession’ submitted to His Excellency Al-Haj Ali Hassan Mwinyi, the then President of the United Republic, on behalf of representatives of various Muslim Organizations of Dar es Salaam in 1990, that all Muslim students were allowed to wear ‘Hijab’ in Schools.
The Shia Community lost one of its most learned and respected Alims when Maulana Syed Saeed Akhtar Rizvi passed away in Dar es Salaam on 20th June, 2002. He was given a befitting funeral attended by well over a thousand people including members of other communities.
Jamaat Leadership.
In the early 1900’s, the Jamaat affairs were run by the elders of Sachoo Pira family. Records show that Hon. Abdulla Khimji (Member of Legislative Council) served as the President of Jamaat in the year 1927 with Gulamali Damji as the Hon. Secretary. In the years 1928/1929 Siwjibhai Somji was the President and Sulemanbhai Daya the Hon. Secretary. Gulamalibhai Damji took over the Presidentship from then until 1938.
The first Constitution of Jamaat was prepared in September 1937 under the Chairmanship of Gulamalibhai Damji. The Hon. Secretary then was Murabbi Haji Jiwan. The Jamaat was officially registered as a religious and charitable organization on 13th November, 1939.
The other elders who served as the President from then until to-date were as follows: -
Murabbi Pirbhai Alibhai - 1938-1939)
Murabbi Gulamali Jiwan - (1939/1940.)
Murabbi Ebrahim Haji
Murabbi Mohamed Abdalla Khimji
Murabbi Kermali Alibhai
Murabbi Noormohamed Nasser - (1953-1959)
Murabbi Mehmood N. Rattansi - (1959-1961)
Murabbi Allarakhia Kermali Alibhai - (1961-1963)
Murabbi Hussein Nasser Valji - (1963-1969)
Murabbi Mohamed Dhirani - (1969-1971, 1973-1983)
Murabbi Rajabali Amarsi Alibhai - (1971-1973)
Murabbi Gulamabbas Janmohamed - (1983-1985)
Murabbi Aliraza Rajani - (1985-1994)
Murabbi Asgher Bharwani - (1995-2002)
Murabbi Pyarali Shivji - (2002-2004)
The current President is Alhaj Anwarali Dharamsi who took office from July 2004.
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